Self winding watch testing machine



March 17, 1959 K. W. MOZU R SELF WINDING WATCH TESTING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. '7, 1955 INVENTOR.

March 17, 1959 K. w. MoZuR 2,877,642

SELF WINDING WATCH TESTING MACHINE Filed Jan. '7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIQZ March 17, 1959 K. w. MOI'ZUR 1 2,877,642

SELF WINDING WATCH TESTING MACHINE Filed Jan. 7, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3

FIG.

, INVENTOR. w K uzm 7 14; w

United States Patent-O This invention is a testing machine for giving self-winding wrist watches a controlled amount of swinging motion simulating the swinging motion of the wrist so the watch manufacturer or repairman can tell when the watches are properly adjusted. After a few minutes on the testing machine, the time required to run down is a measure of the condition of the watches. This is useful in watch manufacture and repair.

of a watch testing machine; Fig. 2 is a sectional side elevation with the parts of the mechanism removed; Fig. 3 is a front view of the oscillatory drive mechanism; Fig. 4 is a side view of the mechanism; Fig. 5 is a detail of the yielding connection to the watch supporting drum; and Fig. 6 isa detail of the motor and drive gearing.

1 ;In the drawing, 1 indicates the case at the front of which is a drum 2 having a hub 3 journaled on a shaft 4. 'On'the front face of the drum are fixed a plurality of watch receiving pockets 5 each of which has a front cover 6 hinged at 7 on a bracket 8. At the free end of the cover is a catch 9 which holds the cover closed against the pocket. The hinge connection 7 has suflicient lost motion to accommodate watches of varying thickness. Upon releasing the catch 9 by pushing down on thevouter end 10 (Fig.2), a spring 11 moves the cover to the open position permitting loading and unloading of watches. The watch receiving pockets are uniformly'distributed around the drum so that a plurality of watches can be carried.

-In' order to simulate the swinging motion imparted to self-winding wrist watches by the natural swinging motion of thewrist, it is necessary that the drum 2 be oscillated back and forth. It is desirable that this oscillating motion avoid too abrupt changes in direction in order to prevent injury to the delicate parts of the watch. It is further desirable that the position of the drum be periodically changed during its oscillating motion so that all of the watches will receive essentially the same amount of swinging. When this is done, a few minutes operation will impart a controlled amount of swinging to the watches mounted on the drum and the time required for the watches to run down will be an indication of the condition of the watches. This permits adjustment and testing of the watches before delivery to the customer. When properly adjusted, the self-winding wrist watch will run for a period of from 24 to 32 hours after being worn for six hours and the testing of the watches on this apparatus insures that the watches will meet the minimum standards.

The oscillating motion of the drum is obtained from the drive shaft 4 through the mechanism illustrated in the Figs. 3, 4 and 6 and the cushioning of the drum at the end of each oscillation is obtained by the yielding coupling shown in Fig. 5.

The yielding coupling of Fig. 5 consists of four tension springs 12 connected between a pair of opposed pins 13 on a hub 14 fixed to the shaft 4 and a pair of pins 15 fixed to the hub 3 connected to the drum. The spring 12 cushion the drum at each reversal and protect the watches from shock.

There is a releasable connection between the drum 2 and its hub 3 consisting of pins 16 in the hub 3 cooperating with notches 17 in a plate 18 at the. center of the drum. The plate is fixed to the inner end of the arms 19 on a frame 20 and the arms are axially slidable through the drum. The plate 18 is held in its outer position by a cam 21 mounted on the frame 20 and when the cam is turned, springs 22 move the plate axially inward until the pins 16 engage the notches 17. In the position shown, the drum is disconnected from the shaft 4 so that it can be turned freely for loading and unloading watches.

The power for driving the shaft 4 is obtained from an electric motor 23 which drives a crankshaft 24 through gears 25, 26 and 27. The motor 23 is mounted on a plate 28 and the crankshaft 24 is journaled in plates 28 and 29 (Fig. 4). In front of the plates 29 is another plate 30 which together with the plates 28 and 29 provides the supporting frame for the mechanism (Fig. 2). The shaft 4 is journaled in all three of the plates 28, 29

' In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a front view 4 and 30.

The crankshaft 24 is connected by a crank 31 to a yoke 32 fastened at'its upper end by a pin 33 to a frame member 34 at opposite sides of which depend racks 35 and 36 which alternately drive the gear 37 fixed to the shaft 4. By the construction so far described as the crankshaft 24 rotates, the racks 35 and 36 are reciprocated vertically and the shaft 4 is driven by one or the other of the racks through the gear 37 to impart an oscillating motion to the watch carrying drum 2.

In order that the drum may periodically changev its position so that each of the watches mounted on the drum will receive the same swinging action, the racks 35 and 36 are shifted laterally by a plate 38 pivoted at- 39 on the supporting plate 29 and moved by mechanism presently to be described. The plate 38 has at its lower end guides 40 and 41 for the racks 35 and 36 so that by swinging the plate 38 about its pivot 39 one of the racks can be moved into engagement with the gear 37 while the other is moved out of engagement. The control for the swinging of the plate 38 is by a ratchet 42 fixed to a shaft 43 journaled in a bearing 44 on the plate29. A ratchet lever 45 having one end loose on the shaft 44 and having at its other end a roller 46 bearing on the frame member 34 is used to drive the ratchet 42 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 3 through.

a pin 47 biased to one end of an elongated slot 48a by a spring 47b. Each time the yoke 32 movesto its uppermost position, the pin 47 turns the ratchet member 42 one tooth. A leaf spring 45b holds the roller 46 against the frame member 34 and returns the lever 45 during downward movement of the yoke. Backward movement of the ratchet member is prevented by a pawl 48. When the ratchet 42 has turned (three teeth for the particular ratchet shown), a crank 50 fixed to the shaft 43 is moved slightly past dead center and a spring 51 attached to the crank pulls the crank 180 and moves it from the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4 to an upper position in which the crank extends upwardly from the shaft. The gear 52 meshes with a gear 54 of twice its diameter fixed to a shaft 55 and carrying a crank pin 56. While the gear 52 is turning 360, the gear 54 turns 180. By means of a link 57 having a slot 58 receiving a pin 59 on a cam member 60, the cam member 60 is turned alternately from the position shown to a position 45 from that shown. In the position shown, the cam member pushes the hinged plate 38 to the right as viewed in Fig. 3 and moves the rack 35 into engagement with the gear 37. When the cam member 60 is turned in a,

clockwise direction, approximately 45 from the position shown, the hinged plate 38 moves to the left bringing the rack 36 into engagement with the gear 37 and moving the rack 35 out of engagement with the gear 37. Accordingly, during each half revolution of the gear 54 one of the racks 35, 36 is moved into engagement with gear 37 and the other of the racks is moved out of engagement with the gear 37. For the specific design shown, the drum and the watches carried thereby will be given a group of three complete oscillations of approximately one-half revolution each which will be immediately followed by another group of three complete oscillations of approximately one-half revolution arranged so that the last oscillation in each group is in the same direction as the first oscillation of the following group. Because the direction of oscillation is reversed between each group of three oscillations, the drum is turned one complete revolution between each group of oscillations so that the watches which were formerly at the upper part of the drum are brought to the lower part of the drum. This continually changes the position of the watches and insures that each will receive essentially the same amount of swinging action. The uniformity of swinging action applied to the watches is important because after a few minutes swinging on the drum, the time required for the watches to run down is used as an indication of the adjustment of the watches.

In the use of the apparatus, these watches to be tested are loaded in the watch receiving pockets 5 on the drum and the motor 23 is started to drive the crankshaft 24 continuously in one direction for the desired length of time. During the rotation of the crankshaft 24, the yoke 32 is reciprocated vertically thereby driving the rack carrying frame 34 up and down and oscillating the drum through the gear 37 fixed to the shaft 4. The amplitude of oscillation of the drum is determined by the length of stroke of the crank 31 and the diameter of the gear 37 fixed to the shaft. Ordinarily, the oscillation will be approximately one-half revolution. As the frame 34 is r'eciprocated, it acts through ratchet lever 45 to move the ratchet wheel 42 one tooth for each reciprocation. At the end of one-half revolution of the ratchet wheel 42, a tension spring 51 turns the ratchet with a snap action through the remaining half revolution after which the turning of the ratchet by the ratchet lever 45 is resumed. Turning the ratchet through a complete revolution, turns the gear 54 through a half revolution and moves the cam member 60 approximately 45. In the position shown, the cam 60 holds the pivoted plate 38 to the right as viewed in Fig. 3 and holds the rack 35 in engagement with the gear 37. When the cam member is turned in a clockwise dfirection approximately 45 from the position shown, the plate 38 swings to the left moving the rack 35 out of engagement with the gear 37 and moving the rack 36 into engagement with the gear 37. This reverses the drive to the gear 37 and causes a succeding group of oscillations of the shaft 4 to which the gear 37 is connected to take place in the reverse direction.

What is claimed as new is:

1. In a testing machine for self-winding wrist watches, a drum journaled on an axis, means for holding a plurality of watches at angularly spaced positions on the drum with the watches spaced radially from the axis in position to receive a swingingmotion corresponding to the natural swinging motion of the wrist as the drum is oscillated, meanas for angularly oscillating the drum with each oscillation for a group of oscillations starting in one direction and ending in the reverse direction, another means for angularly oscillating the drum for another group of oscillations with each oscillation starting in said reverse direction and ending in said one direction, and means for disconnecting from the drum one of said oscillating means and for connecting to the drum the other of said oscillating means at the end of each group of oscillations.

2. In a testing machine for self-windingwrist watches, a drum journaled on an axis, means for holding a plurality of watches at angularly spaced positions onthe drum with the. watches spaced radially from the axis in position to receive a swinging motion corresponding to the natural swinging motion of the Wrist as the drum is oscillated, means for imparting angular oscillation to the drum, and means for rotating the drum a fractional revolution between oscillations to change the position of the watches.

I 3. In a testing machine for a self-winding, wrist watches, a drum journaled on an axis, means for holding a plurality of watches at angularly spaced positions on the drum with the watches spaced radially from the axis in position to receive a swinging motion corresponding to the natural swinging motion of the wrist as the drum is oscillated, a crankshaft, a frame reciprocated by the crankshaft, a pair of spaced racks carried by the frame, a pinion between the racks connected to thedrum; and means for periodically shifting one of the racks into and: the other out of engagement with the pinion.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

